Jamal Cain

[brewcity77]

I love this board. The condescending, elitist, know-it-all pricks really make me miss my MU days.

I guess MU is good-to-go at the forward position for the 2017-18 season. My bad.

MU has three bigs coming in without Cain and a returning PF in Hauser. With Matt in the fold, if our frontcourt next year was Heldt, Froling, Eke, John, and Hauser, we would be better from a depth perspective than we are now. I like Cain. I'm happy we have him. But we are 5 deep at the forward positions without him. I think he has the most upside of the new guys and is our best bet for a breakout frosh, but let's not confuse him with Henry Ellenson.

[wadesworld]

I love this board. The condescending, elitist, know-it-all pricks really make me miss my MU days.

I guess MU is good-to-go at the forward position for the 2017-18 season. My bad.

So the only options for a recruit are "most important recruit of the last 20 years" and "not needed?"

[Afroman]

MU has three bigs coming in without Cain and a returning PF in Hauser. With Matt in the fold, if our frontcourt next year was Heldt, Froling, Eke, John, and Hauser, we would be better from a depth perspective than we are now. I like Cain. I'm happy we have him. But we are 5 deep at the forward positions without him. I think he has the most upside of the new guys and is our best bet for a breakout frosh, but let's not confuse him with Henry Ellenson.

Two of those are projects and Heldt, a D-III player, doesn't count.

[brandx]

MU has three bigs coming in without Cain and a returning PF in Hauser. With Matt in the fold, if our frontcourt next year was Heldt, Froling, Eke, John, and Hauser, we would be better from a depth perspective than we are now. I like Cain. I'm happy we have him. But we are 5 deep at the forward positions without him. I think he has the most upside of the new guys and is our best bet for a breakout frosh, but let's not confuse him with Henry Ellenson.

Gotta correct you, Brew.

Hauser is a wing - not a power forward. One of the reasons I am more optimistic about next year is that we will have actual power forwards on the team.

[MU82]

I'll take a crack at the question asked in the opening post.

"Most important incoming player of the last 20 years," if based on actual results we got to see, was Wade. He carried us to the Final Four,  put MU hoops back on the map and is on MU's Mount Rushmore. Really, how could it be anyone else? And that's despite him having to sit out a year.

After that, Henry was pretty darn important. Wojo needed a jolt of credibility for his new program ... and for his first full recruiting class he signed our first Burger Boy in 30 years, a kid Cal and Izzo very much wanted. He, not Bo Ryan, landed the best player in recent Wisconsin prep history. Pretty important incoming player.

After that, sure, it's a matter if Cain turns out to be something. If so, he might be in the mix with Diener and a few of the others mentioned earlier, including Markus.

Just IMHO, of course.

[Afroman]

Wade sat out his first year. And, when he was an "incoming player," no one dreamed that he would be the player that he turned out to be.

[Billy Hoyle]

I'll take a crack at the question asked in the opening post.

"Most important incoming player of the last 20 years," if based on actual results we got to see, was Wade. He carried us to the Final Four,  put MU hoops back on the map and is on MU's Mount Rushmore. Really, how could it be anyone else? And that's despite him having to sit out a year.

After that, Henry was pretty darn important. Wojo needed a jolt of credibility for his new program ... and for his first full recruiting class he signed our first Burger Boy in 30 years, a kid Cal and Izzo very much wanted. He, not Bo Ryan, landed the best player in recent Wisconsin prep history. Pretty important incoming player.

After that, sure, it's a matter if Cain turns out to be something. If so, he might be in the mix with Diener and a few of the others mentioned earlier, including Markus.

Just IMHO, of course.

When everyone in that class signed Wade was the lowest rated. Merritt was the most important in that class: a top rated local kid who came to MU over better programs like Pitt when kids like him left Milwaukee.

That said, Novak was the most important. Top 30 local recruit, heavily recruited nationally. Crean beat out Bucky, Illinois and Florida, this before he took MU to the tourney for the first time.

Oh, and if not for Travis and Merritt MU loses to Holy Cross and/or Mizzou since Wade didn't show up in the 2003 tourney until the second half of the Pitt game

[tower912]

You ask a question.   Several people answer the question differently than you would have.    Ergo, they are condescending pricks.    Wow.   

[KampusFoods]

Agree, if Joey commits then i would totally go with Sam

If Joey commits, I'd probably pick Joey over Sam.

[The Lens]

Theo John might be the most important as he supposedly plays defense.  That would bring the number of defenders in the program to 1.

Hope he's up for the challenge.

[GoldenDieners32]

Theo John might be the most important as he supposedly plays defense.  That would bring the number of defenders in the program to 1.

Hope he's up for the challenge.

saw his highlights he is solid

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Theo John might be the most important as he supposedly plays defense.  That would bring the number of defenders in the program to 1.

Hope he's up for the challenge.

John can really play some D.  Watched him play MG last week.  Didn't do much offensively, but he is serious force to reckoned with under the basket defensively.  Also looks like he is a damn body builder.  He is immediately going to make a difference for us defensively.   

edit: *MG is Maple Grove for you Sconnies*

[willie warrior]

Gotta correct you, Brew.

Hauser is a wing - not a power forward. One of the reasons I am more optimistic about next year is that we will have actual power forwards on the team.

Wow. I agree with brandi. Hauser is not a pf.
Hell, in some games wojo how ski plays him at the post for several minutes. Hauser is neither and it is a mistake to play him there.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Wow. I agree with brandi. Hauser is not a pf.
Hell, in some games wojo how ski plays him at the post for several minutes. Hauser is neither and it is a mistake to play him there.

Well we're not exactly flush with options.  Next year will be different, and I bet Sam splits him time between the 3 and 4.

[GGGG]

Wow. I agree with brandi. Hauser is not a pf.
Hell, in some games wojo how ski plays him at the post for several minutes. Hauser is neither and it is a mistake to play him there.

They went on their run against Nova without Luke or Heldt on the floor.  It makes sense in certain match up situations, but you are correct that those should be the exception.

[brewcity77]

Gotta correct you, Brew.

Hauser is a wing - not a power forward. One of the reasons I am more optimistic about next year is that we will have actual power forwards on the team.

Hauser is a natural wing, but I was referencing both where he is this year and where he can play. If we go into next year with Sam getting some minutes at the 4, it won't be a problem. My point was that we have depth at the forward positions and multiple guys to play both spots with or without Cain.

[mu_hilltopper]

I love this board. The condescending, elitist, know-it-all pricks really make me miss my MU days.

For the record, I agree with you here.  I thought the OP was a legit question. 

Looks like some people woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I love this board. The condescending, elitist, know-it-all pricks really make me miss my MU days.

I guess MU is good-to-go at the forward position for the 2017-18 season. My bad.

Cain isn't a forward. He's intriguing because he has the size to guard the 1-4 positions. He has the body to be a defensive stopper that mu desperately needs. No idea if he has the skill.

I actually don't think Cain is the best player coming in next year. I think it's Froling. Kid with his size and skill is very hard to come by.

[MU82]

Wade sat out his first year. And, when he was an "incoming player," no one dreamed that he would be the player that he turned out to be.

I acknowledged that Wade sat out his first year in my comment.

I dreamed he could be great. I saw him play as a HS senior against Eddy Curry's team and he absolutely dominated; 35 pts IIRC. I called all of my MU friends and said, "We've got a great one here." I was hardly clairvoyant; by that time, Wade was very well-known.

And yes, I also acknowledge that I am operating from 20/20 hindsight. Based on what we went on to know, Wade unquestionably was the most important recruit over the last 20 years. Based on what we knew at the time of the recruitment - in other words, where Cain is right now - I defer to others who follow that stuff more than I do.

[GoldenDieners32]

Cain isn't a forward. He's intriguing because he has the size to guard the 1-4 positions. He has the body to be a defensive stopper that mu desperately needs. No idea if he has the skill.

I actually don't think Cain is the best player coming in next year. I think it's Froling. Kid with his size and skill is very hard to come by.

Hopefully cain buys into playing tough defense

[MU82]

I only hope Cain is abel.

Now THAT, my friends, is high comedy! One might even say it's biblical!!

[GGGG]

I only hope Cain is abel.

Now THAT, my friends, is high comedy! One might even say it's biblical!!

Does Marquette realize they admitted the murderer?  (Which is probably better than admitting the dead guy.)

[Earl Tatum]

We have to land Elliott for next year. That would be 3 from Michigan and
1 from Minn. Don't care about the schollies, but 2018 we have Bailey,
land Joey and Race Thompson, and or TJ Moss or Dosunmu we will have
a decent team. Now get some decent assistants, excluding Johnson and
a strengthening coach. I don't care how it comes out, JUST DO IT!
Enough of this screwing around. With all the money being spent on the
BB program and we are nothing more than a mid-major right now. Like
it or not. Pisses me off. WARRIORS, WARRIORS, WARRIORS. We are
Marquette.

[hairy worthen]

I love this board. The condescending, elitist, know-it-all pricks really make me miss my MU days.

I guess MU is good-to-go at the forward position for the 2017-18 season. My bad.

Best post I have seen on here in a long time. We'll done

[Dawson Rental]

The program is mired in mediocrity. To get it turned around, I would think that the program would need a jolt from the incoming players. If these incoming recruits are being viewed at as "role players," it doesn't give me a lot of hope.

The nice thing about role playing freshmen, they tend to stick around for four years and develop, sometimes into something special.